Join us at the Tricycle Community Poetry Club from July 26th through August 2nd for a discussion with Professor Donald S. Lopez Jr., the translator and editor of In the Forest of Faded Wisdom: 104 Poems by Gendun Chopel. A highly regarded modern Tibetan poet, Gendun Chopel is also known as "the angry monk."
Here is Lopez's commentary on poem number 33. The poem itself is below:
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Denied permission to travel to Europe earlier this year, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa and most prominent member of the Kagyu lineage, has again faced travel restrictions. If all had gone well, he'd have arrived in New York this week but was denied an exit visa in what appears to be a concession to Chinese interests. The India Times reports:
"The Karmapa was scheduled to attend prayer sessions being organized by Karma Triyana Dharamchakra center in Woodstock in New York that began yesterday (Wednesday), but Indian authorities refused to grant him permission to visit there," Gompa Tsering, Karmapa's secretary, said.
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I have always found it interesting when books seem to randomly, perhaps auspiciously, find their way into my life. I find it particularly interesting when these books are dharma books. I am sure many of you out there have experienced this as well, but occasionally it is as if we do not find certain teachings, but they find us.
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Editor-at-Large Andrew Cooper stopped by for a visit yesterday—quite a change from the Pacific Northwest, where he lives. The heat and rain are very familiar to him, though. He hails from the New York metro area. Still, he may miss the cool breezes off Puget Sound.
Andy, web editor Phil Ryan and I got to talking (Phil was not distracted by the Shady Buddha during this meeting), and Phil noted that every time we use the term "Western Buddhism"—or even just "the West"—some people object. These comments have been helpful, forcing us to examine our use of the term.
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UPDATE: Here is an interview with the artist. Some highlights:
It seems like Buddhist art is a big inspiration for you. Is this just aesthetic or is there a deeper meaning to it? Intuitively, I felt that “Eastern Philosophy” would be a good place to start. Nowhere in the world will you find as much information on the study of the mind than in the East. Also, I wanted to start with something that was easy to digest before getting into more esoteric/occult philosophies.
How do people seem to be reacting to your work? So far, the response has been pretty positive. Most people assume it’s just a Buddhist Movement, but I’m hoping they can stay with me as I move on to more challenging ideas.
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